Unmerited

Recently, I have been reading a book, Why I am not an Arminian. It has challenged me, as well as helping to reaffirm my views about salvation. I have also been talking with a couple of my friends here at school about the topic, which has also again peaked my interest in the topic. Here's what I have found:

1) "The Arminian wants to have it both ways. He wants to say that faith has no merit, but he also wants to say that our faith somehow motivates God to save us, that God chooses us on the basis of our choosing him. But if faith motivates God to save us, then it must have some merit in his eyes (113-114). This quote describes the predicament that all those who believe that our choice determines salvation must face. While you may disagree with the wording, one cannot disagree with the concept. If one believes that salvation is freely offered to all and it is our responsibility to accept that gift, then our acceptance of the gift has merited our salvation in some way, shape, or form. Your choice has saved you, whereas it has eternally damned another.

2) Nowhere in Scripture does it explicitly state that our decision is the beginning of our salvation. Let me explain a bit. There are Scripture references to the fact that we are "dead in our transgressions" (Eph. 2:1). Being dead, you cannot make a decision for yourself. Someone else has to make that decision for you. This decision is made by God for you; He has brought you back to life through Christ.

3) I, myself, would never have chosen Christ unless God had worked inside of me. It takes me no time at all to be reminded of this. I think back to my former way of life, in which I was "happy," getting ready to go to law school and make a lot of money. There is no reason for me to choose Christ and His death. As stated previously, I was "dead in my transgressions;" I was a "slave to sin" (Rom. 6:17). It is thanks and praise to God that He has rescued me from being a slave to sin and turned me into a "slave to righteousness" (Rom. 6:18).

4) It is not my right to question what God does. Ultimately, it is not my right to say to God, "Why did you choose me and not my brother?" (see Rom. 9:19-24). I do not have the answers to these questions, but my responsibility, my only responsibility and right, is to bow down at the throne of God and cry "Holy, holy, holy are you LORD God Almighty."

All glory and honor and power belong to our Lord and God (Rev. 4:11a).